BEAEDED TITMOUSE — WAXWING. 73 



remote, formerly bred, according to Yarrell, in most of the 

 south-east and eastern counties of England, and was probably 

 at that time an inhabitant of, or a constant visitor to, the reed 

 beds along the Thames and its adjacent tributaries in Oxford- 

 shire, Dr. Lamb, about the year 1814, wrote that it was 

 frequent on the banks of the Kennet between Reading and 

 Newbury, undoubtedly breeding about the latter place [Orni- 

 tJwlogla BercJieria), and in 1840 it was included in the Hhtory 

 of Banhiry list on the authority of Mr. Lof tus. But in 1 849 

 the Messrs. Matthews mention only one specimen (on the 

 authority of Mr. Roundell), which was shot some years before 

 near Oxford, and preserved by Mr. Wheeler of that place 

 {Zoologist, p. 2597), showing that by that time it had become 

 undoubtedly rare. The statement in the last edition of 'Yar- 

 rell ' that the Bearded Reedling used to be found up the valley 

 of the Thames as far as Oxford (vol. i. p. 520) was, as the 

 Editor kindly informs me, founded on the above note of the 

 Messrs. Matthews. As a wanderer it has occurred in Oxon so 

 recently as 1883, on the 22nd of February, in which year a 

 Bearded Reedling was seen clinging to a branch just over the 

 ditch wliich separates Christ Church Meadow from the inner 

 gravel walk by the barges at Oxford. The bird was seen by 

 a perfectly competent and accurate observer, then a member of 

 Oriel College, who has communicated the particulars to me, 

 but who prefers to remain anonymous. 



THE WAXWING. ~" 4 



Ampelis garrulus. 

 The "Waxwing, sometimes called the Bohemian Waxwing 

 or Waxen Chatterer, is a rare and occasional winter visitor. 

 The Messrs. Matthews state that several had been killed in the 

 neighbourhood of Weston-on-the-Green, one in their collection 

 being shot in Kirtlington Vaxk [Zoologist, p. 2597)- This last, 

 as the Rev. A. Matthews recently informed me, was shot 

 about the year 1830. During the great immigration of this 



